Laura Oblitas, who turned 110 years old on Thursday, kisses her 1-year-old great-granddaughter, Angelina. Laura's son Luis Oblitas held a party for her in his home in Fair Lawn on Thursday.(Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com)

Laura Oblitas has discovered the elixir of long life, and it's not vegetables, exercise or her daily vitamins.

"I have a lot of love," is the motto of the Fair Lawn woman, who celebrated her 110th birthday on Thursday.

Oblitas, who marked her birthday on the very day that Agnes Fenton of Englewood died at age 112, has apparently assumed the title of oldest New Jerseyan, previously held by Fenton.

Robert Young of the Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group, which tracks supercentenarians (people who are 110 or older), says his group is not aware of any other living New Jersey resident who has reached the age of 110. So it's likely that Oblitas — with 12 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren — is the state's oldest.

Laura Oblitas, who turned 110 years old on Thursday, is surrounded by family as she prepares to blow out her candles. With her are, from left, son Luis Oblitas; his wife, Rosa Oblitas; her great-granddaughter Angelina, and her granddaughter Teresa Baumgartner.(Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com)

On Thursday, she appeared content as she sat back in her chair quietly gazing around the room at the relatives and friends who had assembled for her 110th birthday party. Occasionally, her 20-month-old great-granddaughter, Angelina, climbed onto her lap for a kiss or hug, and Oblitas was only too happy to oblige.

Affectionately referred to by friends and family as "Mama Lala" — a Spanish term of endearment — she has a lot of love for others and they have a lot of love for her, observed her granddaughter, Susana Casaretto of Westwood.

"I've never seen her in a bad mood," said Casaretto, a teacher. "She is always pleasant to everyone. It's something I've always admired about her."

That loving spirit is what led her to take in several needy children and raise them as her own, when she was already single-handedly raising her six children in Lima, Peru.

The doctor says she is in good health. She is still able to walk short distances and recites her prayers every day. But age has taken a toll. She has difficulty seeing, hearing and remembering. Most of her food needs to be liquified. But she did manage to eat a slice of her Peruvian-style birthday cake, made of flaky dough and covered in caramel.

Luis Oblitas talks with his mother, Laura Oblitas, who turned 110 years old on Thursday. Luis held a birthday party for her in his Fair Lawn home, where she lives.(Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com)

According to John Shallman of the Social Security Administration, there are 34 centenarians (people 100 years old or older) living in New Jersey as of this month.

Fenton had credited her longevity to Miller High Life and Johnny Walker Blue Label. But don't run to the liquor cabinet just yet: The world's oldest living woman, Violet Brown, 117, of Jamaica, said her secret formula to long life is that she avoids rum.

The oldest living person in America is Delphine Gibson, 114, of Huntingdon County, Pa., who attributes her long life to her faith and churchgoing habits.

There is no diet or regimen that has been universally accepted to increase longevity. However, experts have noted that many senior citizens who live past age 100 share common characteristics. Among them: They are female, maintain their body weight, get a good night's sleep, don't get stressed out, walk fast, are self-directed individuals and are involved in the community, Young said.

Oblitas, born in August 24, 1907, meets many of these criteria. A trim, mild-mannered woman, she was active in helping people in her community and always maintained her even-tempered demeanor despite her difficult life.

When her husband, Miguel, a civil engineer, suffered a stroke in 1949 and was left too disabled to work, she had to support and raise their six children by herself.

A capable seamstress, she took jobs sewing girls' clothing. "She had to take every job she could get, because money was scarce," recalled her son, Luis Oblitas of Fair Lawn, with whom she lives. He recalled that she would stay up late into the night working, sometimes until 3 or 4 a.m.

She was a strict mother, said Luis, a contractor who has pared down his work schedule to care for his mother full time. "She always made sure we did our schoolwork and our chores." She was also a devout Catholic who regularly attended church and, to this day, recites her prayers every day.

In their hometown of Lima, she was voted "Mother of the Year" in 1966, Luis said proudly. "She was very much admired." She was recognized for, among other things, her dedication in raising her six children, nursing her disabled husband and taking in four destitute children whose families were unable to care for them. "She always welcomed people into our home who needed a place to stay," Luis said.

All six of Oblitas' children graduated from college, married and have jobs. They brought her to America in the early 1980s and have taken turns caring for her.

As a 110-year old, Oblitas has lived through a myriad of historical events and innovations, including the introduction of the Model T Ford and the invention of television and the computer. But some have puzzled her. She can't understand modern society's obsession with the cellphone, Luis reported. "She always says, `Why does everyone spend so much time with their phones?' "